Hotel Galvez Sponsors Revival of Historic Bathing Beauty Revue

05/10/2017Christine Hopkins

In the staircase leading down to the Hotel Galvez & Spa’s Hall of History guests are greeted with a photo of three bathing beauties, capturing the former glamour of Galveston’s “Pageant of Pulchritude,” predecessor of the Miss Universe Pageant, held in the 1920s and early 1930s. Hotel Galvez & Spa®, A Wyndham Grand® Hotel, is once again the backdrop of the “Pageant of Pulchritude” in its fourth year as Presenting Sponsor for the Galveston Island Beach Revue on May 19-21, 2017.

Galveston’s bathing beauty pageants began in the summer of 1920 and marked the beginning of the tourist season. By 1928, the “bathing girl revue” is said to have tripled that island’s popularity during the event weekend. Pageants were held on the beach in front of Hotel Galvez, but came to an end in 1932 due to the Great Depression.

Islander By Choice, LLC resurrected the event in 2009 as the Galveston Island Beach Revue celebrating the history of the popular event and expanding it to a weekend of vintage fun.

New this year is a Friday night Revue Prevue at Hotel Galvez featuring a performance by Dandy Wellington & His Band and the official introduction of the 2017 “Bathing Beauties” donning their vintage cocktail attire. Galvez Bar & Grill will serve Mary Pickford cocktails and offer a prime rib dinner special. Guests can enjoy a 9 oz. prime rib of beef with scalloped gorgonzola potatoes, grilled summer vegetables and choice of a glass of house wine or domestic beer for $26 or a 14 oz. meal for $32. On Saturday, guests can expect live music, a vintage car show, craft beer by Southern Star and “Bathing Beauties Contest” when 40 contestants compete in vintage and vintage-inspired swimwear for cash prizes. Also new this year, Matt Tolentino is performing during Sunday Brunch at Hotel Galvez. Visitors can also enjoy a vintage baseball game at Hooper Field, 3110 83rd.

“This tribute to Galveston’s history is a fun way to celebrate our past and honor tradition in the present,” says General Manager Steve Cunningham. “Plus, Hotel Galvez & Spa makes a great backdrop for this nod to Galveston’s Pageant of Pulchritude.”

About Hotel Galvez & Spa®
Hotel Galvez & Spa®, A Wyndham Grand® Hotel and National Trust Historic Hotel of America, is the only historic beachfront hotel on the Texas Gulf Coast. This 224-room, century-old hotel offers 13,000 square feet of meeting space, a 9,763-square-foot spa, fitness center, full-service restaurant, lobby bar, pool with a swim-up bar and Hall of History.
The hotel is rated four diamonds by AAA and is owned by the Cynthia and George Mitchell family as part of Mitchell Historic Properties. For reservations, call (409) 765-7721, or visit www.HotelGalvez.com.

About Wyndham Grand®
Wyndham Grand® is an ensemble of distinguished hotels that are approachable by design, representing one-of-a-kind experiences in key destinations with refined accommodation, attentive service and relaxed surroundings. A part of Wyndham Hotel Group, the Wyndham Grand family currently consists of more than 40 locations around the world. Additional information is available at www.wyndhamgrand.com. Most Wyndham Grand® hotels are franchised by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, LLC or its affiliates. Certain Wyndham Grand hotels are owned or managed by an affiliate of Wyndham Hotel Group, LLC. Wyndham Hotel Group is the world’s largest hotel company based on number of hotels, encompassing more than 8,000 hotels and over 699,700 rooms in 79 countries. Additional information is available at www.wyndhamworldwide.com. For more information about hotel franchising opportunities visit www.whgdevelopment.com.